If you’ve typically had normal skin on your feet and have been noticing them becoming increasingly dry. You’re likely dealing with a case of xerosis. The condition medically known as xerosis is also better known as severe dry skin on the feet. There is really no medication needed to treat the condition.

There are several factors that can cause xerosis such as:

• Bathing or showering habitually more than once a day

• Using non-moisturizing soaps

• Not applying lotion to re-moisturize the area

• Using excessively hot water when showering or bathing

By applying a moisture-rich lotion to the area, you should be able to see results fairly quickly.

If you notice the dryness escalating and the skin becomes itchy and scaly, it has progressed to pruritus. Again, this condition is easily treated by re-moisturizing the area with lotion. However, if the condition persists for more than two weeks, this could indicate the presence of a viral or bacterial infection. In this case, you would want to visit your podiatrist to obtain antibiotics to treat the infected area.

Xerosis is a fairly common ailment and shouldn’t create any unnecessary cause for alarm.

• Repeated HPV exposure. For example, walking barefoot in public locker rooms and common public areas.

• Having a weakened immune system.

In some cases, the virus can be transmitted to the feet from other areas of the body. This is called remote location seeding.

When first diagnosed, individuals often feel a “lump” on the bottom of the foot when standing, similar to having a stone in the shoe. If left untreated, plantar warts can grow up to 1 inch in circumference and may spread into clusters (called mosaic warts). In severe cases, they cause a change in gait or posture that results in leg or back pain.